low butane cooking tips?

[urbankid12]

Does anyone have any low cooking butane cooking tips?  I looking to try to focus on conserving butane.  I only bought min rice since I got out here but I still use pasta.  I been cooking more things trying to cover heat it up hot then turn off the stove and let the trapped heat finish the cooking without wasting more butane.

I been able to so far last almost 12 days on the current butane bottle.  Very pleased with that but how long can you guys stretch a butane bottle?  (im sure proprane is more popular but im in a minivan so I find it easy to fit into my space.  might switch down the road likely for sure after this winter in quartsite.  Unless I can't find butane in New Mexico.. havn't needed to search for it but likely will have to stock up in a few weeks when I pass through a BIG city again)

I think if I cook the pasta to a boil and wait a min or two then I could turn it off and let it finish covered.  Havn't perfected the method.  My morning eggs I have they turn out great (but the toast is pretty soggy) I been cold brewing (at room temp overnight it's cool down to 40's or 50's usually) coffee and I love it!  Iced coffee every day! 

I more want to downsize my butane usage to keep me from having to carry more than 4 bottles and being able to make it last during times I'm running low, than an issue about the cost.  

If anyone has any tips or thoughts be great to hear em.  Thanks

 

[Sofisintown]

Get a pressure cooker. It cuts the cooking time down to 1/3rd.

 

[abnorm]

Life is too short for soggy toast !

 

[user 30781]

How are you making your toast, urbankid?

If I don't have a toaster handy, I spread both sides of the bread with butter and fry/grill it in a skillet until crisp. Like a grilled cheese sandwich without the cheese. This is actually my favorite way to eat toast.

 

[user 423]

The different types of pasta have varied cook times so I buy angel hair which has the quickest cook time.

Quick rice is probably not as nutritious but I buy that as well (not Minute Rice).

I eat old-fashioned oatmeal every morning and I've found that just pouring hot water on it and letting it sit covered for a bit does the trick. I'll boil enough water for my first cup of coffee and the oatmeal at the same time. Always using a lid on the saucepan as it takes less heat.

Coffee starts me on my day while waiting on the oats.

 

[XERTYX]

X2 on the pressure cooker. I've never made pasta in one but a pot roast takes almost no time. I bought a ginormous one. Big mistake. Takes too long to get up to pressure on butane. I'd go with a hawkins 3qt or smaller.

Another residual heating method used by sailors is thermos cooking. Theres a little more to it and some say bacterial growth might occur. Use your own judgment. The short answer is to boil water and dump it into the thermos to preheat it. Then boil whatever you're cooking and dump out the water and fill it with the food. After a while depending on what you're cooking dump it back in the pan and boil again and return to the thermos.

Think of it as an analog crockpot. Obviously if you're cooking chicken or something that could grow microbiological baddies boil it again before eating or dont use this method if you're cautious.

I'm a big proponent of butane BUT even in big cities when Walmart's distribution center runs out of Coleman butane fuel for 2 months straight and no walmart has it you'll get nervous as I did. I found some before I ran out at academy sporting goods but not before I built an alcohol stove to supplement my cooking. Good luck.

 

[JDub]

A tip on butane costs: Find Asian stores. They sell cans of butane w CRV at half the cost of WM. I get mine from a store in Tuscaloosa and it's 5 - 6 bucks for a pack of 4. The local WM costs $2.92 a can... Heat food on your engine block also. Works great. Just don't forget it. I bought one of these and I've been pretty impressed w it. Just plug in while you drive or into your power source. Uses very little juice. You can bake your food without expending butane.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Specialty-Appliances/1988/subcat.html

Cheers!

 

[JDub]

A tip on butane costs: Find Asian stores. They sell cans of butane w CRV at half the cost of WM. I get mine from a store in Tuscaloosa and it's 5 - 6 bucks for a pack of 4. The local WM costs $2.92 a can... Heat food on your engine block also. Works great. Just don't forget it. I bought one of these and I've been pretty impressed w it. Just plug in while you drive or into your power source. Uses very little juice. You can bake your food without expending butane.

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Specialty-Appliances/1988/subcat.html

Cheers!

 

[B and C]

^^^Your link ends on a page full of different stuff.

 

[JDub]

Sorry! Look at the Hot Logic 12v Mini Oven at the very top!

 

[abnorm]

^No mini oven

 

[JDub]

Very weird - must have sold out? It was there a couple hours ago...

https://hotlogic.com/products/hotlogic-mini-with-5-cup-glass-dish-w-locking-lid

Cheers!

 

[HappyLife1977]

Amazon has the 12v mini oven too. I like that thing! It's going on my list!
We cook, heat water for dishes (too cold to set out water to sun heat) wash ourselves, and bake on a butane can in 2 days, so you've got science! As the other person said, asian markets. Also look for little dollar-type stores, not the Dollar line though. Sometimes they have butane. You might consider supplementing you option with sterno type and a little folding stove to hold the large size sterno type cans. All the Dollar stores I know of carry the stuff. Its enough for coffee and so forth, and a back up for lack of butane.

 

[HappyLife1977]

I was going to add if you buy frozen food, let them thaw first. Don't wast fuel melting the ice.

 

[user 30781]

I ordered a Coleman butane stove off Amazon that will be here next week. I was at Walmart a couple days ago and picked up a few butane canisters for $2.97 ea. Came home and looked at the price on Amazon. TEN DOLLARS for the same thing. Outrageous.

 

[XERTYX]

Yeah restaurant supply stores sell them for even more than that. Academy sporting goods has them for around 3.50 I think but they're zippo brand if I remember correctly and they're 8.0 oz not 8.8 oz like the Coleman ones.

Super H mart has them really cheap, or any asian market usually. I've found them at piggly wiggly stores in a 4 pack for about $5

 

[lab_nomad]

If you use hot water for various things, get a thermos. Heat the water once, and put it in the thermos for use throughout the day.

Get used to eating things cold/room temp. Cook enough so you have leftovers and eat the leftovers without reheating them. I happen to like cold potatoes with barbecue sauce on them. I don’t mind room temp pasta.

 

[lab_nomad]

How are you making your toast, urbankid?

If I don't have a toaster handy, I spread both sides of the bread with butter and fry/grill it in a skillet until crisp.  Like a grilled cheese sandwich without the cheese.  This is actually my favorite way to eat toast.

Mmmm. I like the sound of that. I’ll have to try it. I like grilled cheese; why have I never thought of just doing the bread that way?

 

[XERTYX]

Mmmm. I like the sound of that. I’ll have to try it. I like grilled cheese; why have I never thought of just doing the bread that way?

I always do my burger buns that way. Also if I'm making a grilled ham and cheese I like to toast the insides of an onion bun then load up the fixins and grill the outsides as you would a grilled cheese. Pretty good. Especially if you catch onion buns or everything bread on markdown.